Serving over 60,000 people every week across 21 counties, Central Texas Food Bank is a lifeline for countless families. Headquartered a short drive from downtown Austin, this hub of activity thrums with a whole different sort of energy. At any given time, a half dozen forklifts are buzzing through the immense maze of the warehouse, stacked from floor to ceiling with pantry staples, while semitrailers unload directly into the walk-in fridge and freezer, each bigger than the average gymnasium. You could easily get lost in the 135,000 square foot facility without a guide or a map. It's not all dry beans and pasta. Contrary to the common misconception, there's a selection of fresh produce here that could put a mid-tier grocery store to shame. In fact, over a quarter of the food items moving through this building are fresh fruit and vegetables. Much of that is rescued, prevented from going into landfills for petty reasons like blemishes, odd sizes, or simply oversupply. Over 28 million pounds of produce was saved from that fate, putting into the hands of those who need it most. They've truly though of everything, including wheel chair-accessible raised beds, examples of container gardens for those without yards, and a classic "pizza garden" to appeal to kids. It feels like such a rare and beautiful opportunity to connecting with nature, providing both education and inspiration to grow your own food, no matter the circumstances. Let's not overlook the commercial kitchen, preparing meals for the community while providing culinary training for job placement at the same time. It becomes a self-sustaining system, but only with the proper support. Volunteers are the heartbeat of the operation, sorting donations in the warehouse, distributing it through mobile pantries, delivering it to those without transportation, and more. There are plenty of hands on deck during the holidays, but there's a continuous need throughout the year. There's never a bad time to help, no matter how much or how little, because time is an incredibly precious resource too. The Central Texas Food Bank gives me a profound sense of hope. There's such unwarranted shame and stigma that remains surrounding the issue of hunger at large which is detrimental to absolutely everyone. Who wins when so many suffer? This operation is proof that it doesn't have to be that way. Anyone that needs help, gets help. With this revolutionary approach, it is possible to stop hunger in its tracks and nourish the community. read more

I always try to volunteer when I can. I decided to sign up and volunteer in the warehouse for Central Texas Food Bank with my organization. It was well organized and fun. First, it was easy to sign up and register as a group. Secondly, they provided great details through email in preparation of the event regarding the dress code, parking and arrival time. In addition, the coaches were knowledgeable and provided us with an orientation before we began to ensure our safety and gave us guidance on the process. They were also friendly and funny. The event itself was relatively easy and not physically exhaustive. In 2.5 hours, we made a huge difference and sorted over 6K pounds of potatoes. We made a huge difference for the community in a short amount of time. I absolutely plan to return here and volunteer again. read more

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I always enjoy volunteering at the Central Texas Food Bank. I initially signed up for my volunteer shift online. There is plenty of parking and when you come in, you can check in for your shift at the kiosk and it prints out a name tag. The name tags are a nice touch so that everyone can meet the people that they are volunteering with on your shift. They had several volunteer options including in the kitchen area and also in the food distribution warehouse. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. They start and close the shift with detailed instructions about each volunteer position so you know what to expect. They also allow you to select a volunteer position that is matching your interest and skill level. On this particular occasion, I helped with moving tables and pallets and reorganizing the warehouse space for the weekend shifts. After completing this task, I was assigned stapling papers together with weekly menu instructions to put in each food basket to provide instructions to the families receiving food assistance. Then I worked at the bag station where I tied bags that were used to hold the produce. There were a variety of volunteer positions to choose from and the shift passed very quickly. The shift lasted for 3 hours and they are respectful of your time to complete the shift timely. There was a nice restroom and break room space for volunteers. Someone had prepared beef sliders for the volunteers and there were also coffee options. The process is clean and sanitary and the emphasize hand washing and wearing gloves. At the end of the shift they tell you how many pounds of food that you provided to families as a result of your shift. In our case it was 9K pounds. Overall a very enjoyable volunteer experience to provide food to families in the central Texas area. read more

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Wonderful volunteers full of smiles. Delicious soups from local restaurants and bowls you can take home! All of this helps the food bank!! Such a great way to enjoy the day, eat amazing soup and help the community! read more

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These people are borrowed selfless service and impacting our community. Volunteers work hard to make sure families are taken care of.

I recently volunteered at CTFB with a group from work. We volunteered on a Saturday and it was a group of about 40 of us. The shift was scheduled for 1-4pm and started on time. We received instructions and other information for about half and hour, then everyone picked teams to work on and got started. The shift was a good sorting shift, and we ended up making enough boxes of bread and pastries for 3,900 meals! It was pretty well organized, and the different teams of people worked well together to produce 12-pound boxes of either bread or pastries. Everything had been donated from HEB or Walmart and was in good condition from what I saw. Some people worked on building the boxes themselves, other people sorted the food, another team put the food into the boxes and made sure they weighed 12 lbs, another team labeled the boxes, and another team put those finished boxes on separate pallets and moved the completed pallets to another space. I highly recommend volunteering here! Looks like they have tons of different kinds of shifts, and it is rewarding work. I really enjoyed my time volunteering here and hope to come back soon! read more

Central Texas Food Bank - Lobby - Food Banks Near Me - Austin, Texas

Want to give back to the community, do some good - and in return feel good? Central food bank of Texas is a great option. Sign up on their website, it's pretty easy - they are a volunteer run organization, very well managed. They do an amazing job. They have plenty of jobs to do - quality check, picking stuff, operating machinery, something for all skillsets. It's easy to believe in their mission and in general do good. read more

I volunteer here. There is an evening shift in the warehouse. You are working with 20-30 others to facilitate breaking down, composing, inspecting. Such jobs can be inspecting pasta boxes for bugs, weighing produce then dumping into the compost bin, moving vegetables from a giant box into smaller boxes that go to others who are making 10 pound bags, using the pallet lift to bring foods to other groups, etc. The time goes fast, the staff are great and it's rewarding. read more

Central Texas Food Bank - Food Banks Near Me - Austin, Texas

I volunteered at the Central Texas Food Bank for my second time this morning. They have such an efficient system there you can sign up for volunteer shifts and sign waivers online and then when you get there, you sign in and get a name tag at a kiosk. The volunteer slots are about 2 1/2 hours and they really go by fast because it's fun! Last year I worked in the garden this year I worked in the warehouse sorting and bagging produce, there are jobs for all types of people and even kids. They have all the safety precautions in place and are there to help you. This is a great way to give back to our community and help feed other central Texas families. read more

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Volunteering at the food bank is actually fun! I've done both the mobile food pantries where they pass out food to those in need, as well as the warehouse shifts. I personally prefer the warehouse shifts as they have different jobs that are somewhat of a workout (ex: expediting, pallets, etc) but also keep you busy so the time flies by. Also, making financial donations to the food bank is nice because they have a very good rating on charity navigator and can turn $1 donated into 4 meals for those in need (sometimes 8 or 12 meals if a donation match is going on at the time). Their staff is also very friendly and fun to be around as well. read more

Today I joined Austin SHRMs volunteer afternoon at Central Texas Food Bank's warehouse! I was impressed with how seamless and organized the process was! central TX Food Bank's staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Our training was quick and impactful and it was a fun volunteer activity for a big group! Highly recommended if you are looking for a worthy activity to do together read more

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The Central Texas Food Bank is such an important organization and I am thankful I was able to donate food and money recently. The organization is split into two different sides of their facility, with the food donation and sorting being located in the same area as their delivery trucks. Upon arriving, you will be directed to back into one of the loading zones where someone will assist you in unloading your vehicle onto a cart. Once it is there, they take it into the warehouse where I imagine everything is sorted. You do need to ensure that everything donated is shelf stable, and their website lists what items are most needed and what items they do/do not accept. Drop off is a well oiled machine and very easy and convenient to do! On the other side of the facility you can find their offices and any cash or check donations can be delivered to the receptionist in the front lobby. They will ensure you receive a donation form for tax benefits, if you are choosing to list your donation for tax purposes. I will say that while food donations are always welcomed, the CTFB has a much better buying power and can purchase far more per dollar than the average individual due to corporate discounts. Personally, I would recommend giving money as they can make a much larger purchase and ensure that they are buying what they most need, however any and all donations make a huge difference in the lives of Central Texans. I love being able to help the community and CTFB makes it easy to do so! 12/10 highly recommend! read more

What a fantastic organization is the Austin Community! My mother and I came here to pack meals for Thanksgiving and had a great time. It was a 3 hour shift in their warehouse and it went by so fast. My only wish is that they had more availability to volunteer in their warehouse because I would go more often. Highly recommend supporting the Central Texas Food Bank. read more

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You guys know how to take but you don't know how to give back. It's easy for you to give back free food but when it comes back to give them people that have given time and money to you guys, it's ridiculous. And high school I used to volunteer for you guys with my school. I ran into a bit of trouble as an adult and part of me getting off of probation was me donating $1100 in cash to this place. But you guys wouldn't even hire me three years ago for a job that paid 12 an hour that you required all this forklift experience for. Well, now I'm living in another state and I make 24 an hour. And I'll probably be getting a pay raise soon to 40. I don't know why I'm dropping this review so late, but I'm just not gonna deal with the crap anymore. Thank you for nothing thank you for taking my $1100 and thank you for taking all my donation time. I never asked for it back. I asked for a job, but that's OK. I got it from another company for much more. read more

Volunteered here with Walmart and it was an amazing experience! This place has wonderful staff, they are so helpful and kind. The facility is organized, and clean, they teach you how to do your tasks and split the groups up. Very clean environment, you are required to wash your hands and wear gloves. Dress comfortably, you will do some physical labor. Definitely give back and come volunteer if you are able to. As a team we helped provide over 537 boxes at the Central Texas Food Bank! 10,716 pounds = 8,930 meals to our neighbors in need! #FightHunger #SparkChange read more

Central Texas Food Bank - Food Banks Near Me - Austin, Texas

Good place the tall guy with blue hair driver was so nice he talked to me about where he works and what he doesn't there are more workers like him that's amazing. read more

Each year Rackspace (a Managed Cloud Business Solutions company) sponsors a Saturday morning volunteer day with the Central Texas Food Bank. Despite a cold windy morning about 50 Rackers and guests (yup I was the Plus 1 at this event) arrived early at Rackspace HQ in north Austin to unload the truck, prepare the distribution line, and set up the traffic cones to manage the traffic flow. At 9 AM sharp our first guests arrived to retrieve a turkey with all the traditional sides. For the next 3 hours, traffic was steady and even if guests arrived without coupons no one was turned away. Kudos to Rackspace, the Food Bank, and all the volunteers for taking time out of their busy schedules to ensure that families would have a great Thanksgiving Day. read more

I really enjoyed my time volunteering here. Great, new facility. They have an computerized check-in system as soon as you walk in. There are have various types of volunteering duties, with many time slots available. I've done both the warehouse sorting and the kitchen prepwork. If you can get a group of friends together and donate your time, warehouse sorting is more fun and productive. We made sanitary kits that included shaving cream, razor, toothpaste, mouth wash. However I do want to note -- kitchen prepwork, does not only involve cutting, prepping and scooping foods, but you will have to rinse and wash all the prep material equipment (50+) with the dishwasher! But all in all, amazing experience. And I will be back to volunteer again! read more

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I've been volunteering here for over four years, and it's been an amazing experience every time. During the COVID-19 era, the Central Texas Food Bank has taken special measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic while maintaining its commitment to support neighboring communities. Parking is plentiful. Volunteers are friendly. The mission is inspirational. Masks required! Sign up for a volunteer slot online. Give back to your local community through this organization. read more

Awesome organization with a great mission, especially in these difficult times. My only feedback would be to make signage clearer for those looking to donate food in person. First we went to the main building which doesn't have any instructions for where to drop off canned goods. The very helpful team member inside told us where to go, but it's a little confusing because the dropoff point is past a fence that says truck delivery. It didn't look like we were supposed to enter with the big rigs off Burleson but once we did we found the area for food donation. Adding signage and directions would make the process a lot easier next time. Thank you for all that you do for our community! read more

You have got to see this beautiful structure off of Metropolis! Yes, I am talking about the food bank! I've been here twice now and the second time I got a tour of the facility from the COO! I am amazed that so much thought went into building this magnificent facility! Central Texas Food Bank is the largest hunger relief program in central Texas. They are a 501c3 too. Last year CTFB brought 31 million meals to our community and into the hands of families and local nonprofits that turn to them for help. CTFB does more than just provide meal and food too. They share knowledge with families in need on low cost healthy meals and educate them on how to prepare the healthy food that is donated to them. Their mission is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger, I would say they are absolutely doing that! If you volunteer in the warehouse you are making sure the food is safe before it leaves the warehouse and the highest quality food is going out to folks in need of it. You can also volunteer in the kitchen which is a 4,200-square foot commercial production kitchen that supports on-site meal preparation for multiple programs. There are also volunteer opportunities for the mobile pantry, volunteer ambassador, office, nutrition education and in their garden! It is super easy to sign up on their website too! I would highly recommend the Central Texas Food Bank! If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity or to give back as an individual or a group this is a great place to do it! read more

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Finally a place I can review without lookin like a pig (El Pollo Rico) or a freak (Perfect 10) or a hag (Castro's). Nope this place makes me look goooood. I admit I thought good clean fun was an oxymoron but this proved otherwise (well, most of it was clean....Jens' comments notwithstanding). If you're like me, you vow every new year to do more volunteering, but all the options and varieties and jobs are so overwhelming. Thanks to Courtney B and Yelp for putting together a group to check this option out. We had about 10 folks so it turned into a mini Yelp event with the usual shenanigans of teasing, flirting, a little dancing, and even name tags! The only difference was I wasn't hungover afterwards and I didn't find Jens' nametag on my ass (it was added to the giant ball of nametags). Well, and of course the biggest difference is, we sorted and loaded and boxed enough food to feed over 1000 people, instead of feeding our own faces for a change. The staff here were great! Walking into a warehouse of dollies and forklifts and scads of bins of food and boxes can be intimidating, but there is a method to their madness and they run this thing like a three ring circus. We all easily caught onto our "jobs" and nothing was too strenuous or confusing (and YES, there is air conditioning!). And when they put on the old skool R&B, we even got a little dancing in. This is a great way to put in some karma hours with your teens or your geriatrics or fellow heathens or whomever. Good clean fun. Who knew??? read more

Central Texas Food Bank - Volunteering! - Food Banks Near Me - Austin, Texas

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These people do good work, and make the most of volunteers. You can drop off donations here and this is just a warehouse where food gets sorted and then shipped to shelters, churches, etc. who do the actual food distribution to the public. I went on a Thursday night from 6-8:30 shift - which is 18+ only. The crowd was comprised of mostly college kids from groups (frats and sororities), and there were some clear regulars who knew their way around. A quick orientation by the actual food bank staff and a couple assigned duties later, the place was buzzing about with sorters, inspectors, palletizers, trash/clean-up crew, and runners. Everyone had a job to do and time really flew. I'm happy to report we (maybe 50 volunteers) processed just over 5000 pounds of food that night which turns into something like 4200 meals? AWESOME. read more

Central Texas Food Bank - Volunteer tag ball! - Food Banks Near Me - Austin, Texas

Cap Area Food Bank was the first charity we sponsored back in 2007. It was the most rewarding experience to do something for someone else. I will always be indebted to my friend Lalo, who encouraged me to do something with our supporters club to help others. He understood that I started a great group of guys/girls and we should spearhead the connections I had developed. I was at first concerned that it would turn people off... I was so wrong. In fact, it has become a mantra within our group to help others. We have done several food drives and cash donations to help this organization. Lalo was a benefactor of this group growing up as a kid. The most rewarding aspect is the availability to actually "work" at the facility. I have done this a couple of times now, the most recent was through the Yelp gives back program. When you physically take time out of your schedule to provide support seems even more rewarding than than the fund drives we have done in the past. The team at Cap Area have huge hearts and a great sense of humor. The last shift, with the Yelp Crew, was a blast. We were able to move 4000 lbs of donated food items. Pretty impressive for just a few hours of your time. Get some friends together and I hope you will consider showing up on the weekend with them and join in on the fun. They need all us to assist those less fortunate.. read more

Volunteered. We have a really great time. During the time we went, they were working on a Habitat for Humanity project and that is what my husband and I assisted with. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot. I was completely blown away by the amount of people they feed. I believe they said 45,000 weekly which is insane and awesome. This is something I would like to do again. read more

Central Texas Food Bank - Food Banks Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Filling out more forms (new fiscal year) in the cold rain with rude staff. I was told (by female staff member) to put my umbrella down or get out of line. When I asked why weren't these forms online, I was insulted by another (female staff member) who promptly began to read the form for me. When I stated that "I could read", I was told that if I didn't fill it out, I wouldn't be able to get any food. So I'm leaving (empty handed)... there's no fresh food anyway; so it's not worth my time for a can of green beans and 2 bags of rice... read more

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Wonderful place to go volunteer at! Thanks to them many Texan families have food on their plate. I have been there 3 times with pasta and current employer and they have all been amazing team building experiences. Very rewarding knowing your work will benefit others. read more

The Central Texas Food Bank recently moved to their new location on Metropolis and it is amazing! It makes volunteering with them all the more fun and exciting. We went with a large group of around 30 people and they definitely know how to handle crowds. Everyone was divided up into different groups with different jobs, and we all worked together to package food for families in Central Texas. They played music while we were volunteering, and the coordinates will dance along with you throughout your shift! All in all it was a great experience that made 3 hours fly by in no time! read more

Central Texas Food Bank - Mural in the warehouse - Food Banks Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Terrible place to deliver as a truck driver. They are very nice people but have no respect for delivery times. Made me wait over 24hrs to except product they ordered. They claim they were short handed and very busy but only had 6-8 other trucks over a 12 hr span. Will not do business or support this foodbank I will take my donations elsewhere. It is a state of the art facility and very nice, I will give them that. Ran like the military and very strict. read more

Called for information on donating food items and was asked if I could please hold. First time I have ever called to contact this organization. Of course! no problem. I waited for 30 minutes and then decided to see it through. Just how long would they keep me on hold? "We appreciate your call and your patience while waiting. Your call is very important to us and we look forward to speaking with you" "We know your time is valuable. Thank you for holding. Assistance is just a moment away." "Because of the personal attention given every caller you may experience a brief delay. Please remain on the line, a representative will assist you momentarily." It's about 2.5 hours in and no one has picked up. I tried calling on another phone and wasn't able to get through either. they need to get their act together. All i wanted to do was to donate, I'll take my donations elsewhere. read more

You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you. ~John Wooden I excitedly came here on a Saturday to donate my time with my friends non-profit 5.5Liters organization. The entire experience was really fun. There weren't as many peeps as they had expected so they put us in charge of beverage sorting. Note: I am an efficient MACHINE when it comes to stuff like this. They explained what we had to do, and we went to town tearing pallets of beverage containers down. Checking labels, cleaning containers, sorting, boxing, labeling. They played music to keep the energy going. You could tell that everyone that was there WANTED to be there. No sullen faces or whining. We were there to help and happy to do it! We got a 15 minute break which I was surprised about because see my previous note of being a machine, I totally could have kept going. The 3 hours flew by. In the end we made a huge dent, our petite group complied almost 7,000lbs of beverages which equated to 5800-ish meals. HOORAY! Do good - Feel good. It's that easy! read more

I recently visited the Capital Area Food Bank on a field trip with my sons second grade class. Best field trip idea EVER!! I was completely blown away by the size of this place. It's massive! They are able to reach out to so many not only in our community, but many others as well. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. Best part...you only have to be 8 years old to volunteer!! I can't wait to come back with our family this summer to spend some time voluunteering, and you should too! read more

It's actually kind of hard to get a shift here because CAFB relies on regular volunteer groups. Therefore, I recommend having your group volunteer on a regular basis, even if only twice a year! Being a foodie, a softie and an environmentalist, I LOVED volunteering here. HEB and others donate a lot of food which has technically expired or gotten banged up and CAFB relies on volunteers to sort the food to salvage usable food. The problem with expiration dates, you learn, is that they are more like "freshest by" dates, overly conservative to guarantee customers get the best flavor. The staff explains this a little better, but in any case, they still have to be VERY careful what food they give out, since the people receiving the items are generally vulnerable. I not only felt good to help others make ends meet and prevent food waste, but I also loved what I learned - I now prevent food waste at my own house. I hope to volunteer again soon! read more

Boy whata great place to work on a saturday morning,lots of voulunters,all ages excepted,but don't wear sandles,closed toe shoes only!! Our group did can goods in a nice warehouse type setting,I worked on the receving end and stacked the banana boxes on the pallets.our group did 2 tons of food in 3 hours.Staff is very helpful,everybody in good mood. If you like to,or have to voulunter ,give this place a try,you'll be glad you did!! read more

I actually haven't used their services. I volunteered a couple of times and no I didn't get charged with anything. My friends, a couple of us from the Austin Spurs (Tottenham Hotspur supporters group) and I wanted to help out during the holidays and we signed up for a couple of shifts. We were doing warehouse work which isn't bad at all. The employees remind us how much our volunteer work will help out the community. If you get a chance, please help out the Central Texas Food Bank. If you can't volunteer, please donate. read more

They don't seem to appreciate volunteers or their time. My kids and I have been volunteering at the food bank every summer for years. This morning was our 4th shift this year. Due to construction blocking our exit we we were 10 minutes late. Our total commute to the food bank was an hour. When we walked in to volunteer we were turned away because we were late! The volunteer coordinator didn't care what the reason for being a few minutes late was, nor the hour commute we just took to get there to GIVE our time to HELP them. In all our years we had never been late. We have always enjoyed volunteering there, but today has certainly left us feeling unappreciated. read more

I've volunteered here and brought food to donate! Such a fun experience, especially if you need some "do good, feel good" spirit in your life. They need the help and it's great fun to leave your nametag on the huge ball of nametags at the end! read more

I did volunteer here in the kitchen for 3 hours. It was a great experience to help prepare food for for kids. They generally prepare 900 meals every day and 2000 during summer. More college students enroll for volunteering here. Great staff and a clean place. Please support and volunteer here to help kids. read more

This is so much of what people need when hard times hit. If not for the food bank , I know several families that would have gone without and also their kids. Everyone needs to donate whatever and whenever you can to help our fellow Texas citizens read more

I'm a family member here I absolute love this place the people who work here are amazing and they work their butts off! Anyone can volunteer which is awesome and it's always nice getting to meet new people while doing good for the community. read more